The structure of the gene encoding the human skeletal muscle alpha(1) subunit of the dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type calcium channel (CACNL1A3)

The structure of the gene encoding the human skeletal muscle alpha(1) subunit (CACNL1A3) of the dihydropyridine-sensitive voltage-dependent calcium channel was determined by isolation of overlapping genomic DNA clones from human cosmid, phage, and P1 libraries. Genomic fragments containing exons were subcloned, and the sequences of the exons and flanking introns were defined. Knowledge of the genomic structure of the CACNL1A3 gene, which spans 90 kb and consists of 44 exons, will facilitate the search for additional mutations in CACNL1A3 that cause neuromuscular disease. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.